Shoes - Delano,MN

I don't agree. I don't think it is necessary to buy kids expensive things. They grow so quick when they are little to me it does not pay. Unless there is a medical reason to have more expensive shoes $12.00 walmart shoes work just fine. When they get older and want expensive stuff they can have a job to get them. Maybe this will make them appreciate it more.

There are so many options out there for shoes (now even more than just a few years ago). I don't think you need to spend a lot just to get the "trendy" name brand. As long as they're flexible and easy to walk in you're fine. Yes, stores like Target and Walmart offer stiff old fashioned plastic shoes, but they also offer flexible varieties as well. Just do some looking. I seriously think you can find a decent shoe at a better price than the name brands and many times very similar style and just as cute!

I buy from Walmart, Payless, Target, and resale for name brands. They outgrow them so quickly, so as long as they are cute, comfy, and supportive, I am not picky.

I do not but expensive-our ped said as long as they are soft-GO FOR IT! Don't get sucked in to the fad or the most popular! LOL! L.:)

I would have to say that I don't go for top brands most of the time but I have from time to time. They both seem to get the job done.
C.

If they are cheap and cleanable at a consignment store or garage sale I will buy them. My kids are so picky with shoes anyways, I usually buy what they will keep on their feet longer than 5 minutes.

We've used every brand out there. I've never really noticed that any of them work better than others.

I always go for these brands. I do feel it is important for development of their feet and walking. I have tried some from Kohls or Target and they just feel so stiff. I know I wouldn't want to wear them so why would I expect my child to wear them? Nordstroms and Von Mauer have great kids shoe departments and you can find deals on them.

My parents always got me good shoes. And now today I have very good feet! My husband’s dad always bought him what ever was on sale. Today he has flat feet witch has lead to back issues and so on..... So we are very careful to get our kids very good shoes. I don't look at the brand or the price so much as the support that the shoe offers. It must have a good arch and fit properly.

My kids had no shoes at all until they really started walking well... and then, nah, I just bought them normal, uncumbering shoes.

You are right it IS important. My son only has 2 pairs per season, one tennis shoes, one sandal (summer), and one wintery style. I go to the Stride Rite outlet or get the buy one get one 1/2 off. Also when he was little I did Pedipeds, Pedoodles, Rileyroos. If you go cheap on the shoes, they don't bend. I put a pair on my son after wearing soft shoes and he walked like a wooden soldier becuase he couldn't bend his feet. I didn't buy them and have never skimped on that ever. I did a lot of research and the right shoes are so important for kids feet!

Due to the fact that my son has a really wide foot, we are pretty limited in footwear. We usually buy Stride Rites. To help with the cost, we wait until the BOGO 50% off sale or go to the outlet. While they are expensive, knowing that my son is wearing a good shoe helps to alleviate some of the pain. :o)

I buy a mixture -some of my kids' shoes are from Target and Walmart and others from Stride Rite, boutique shops, Nordstrom, etc.. Neither of them have walking or foot problems and yours won't either unless they already have a diagnosed issue from wearing cheaper shoes! The cutest light-up athletic shoes my boys have had were from Target and Walmart and were the same exact quality, style and build as their Stride Rites. We are big outlet shoppers, so check out Stride Rite outlets, Converse Outlets, Bass and Crocs outlets. My two love their Crocs and they're awesome kid shoes -virtually indestructable, comfortable, washable -and come in winter styles! $30 is my absolute limit for shoes for small children. They grow out of them too fast!

I completely agree. Soft soled shoes are so important for little feet, and you just can't find them cheap. Although now you can get infant leather booties at places like Target and Babies R Us. But for toddlers, forget it, shoes stiff as a board! A friend of mine calls me a "shoe snob." Haha! Well, for my little one's feet, yes I am! My daughter is now almost 3 and we have always bought See Kai Run, and LOVE them! They are really soft, great quality and super cute! https://www.seekairun.com/

Yes I buy them on sale at nordstrom~or ross or marshalls.

My son has more shoes than he know what to do with. I buy good shoes for him Puma, Addias, Nike, K-Swiss. I buy them a little big so he can grow into them and more use out of them. I do buy flip flops from target in the summer but not his tennis shoes. All of them are great quality, even thougth they are all name brand I never pay full price. I am the queen of coupons. I google what ever I am buying to find coupons or I buy them online when I get special offers.

I usually can find "last seasons" shoes at Marshals; i.e. the good Stride Rite ones and for half the price. Also, sign up for mailing lists and you can get coupons to help make the expensive shoes close to the same price as the cheap ones. This is what we do. My son has very fat feet and I can't just go to walmart or target and get cheap shoes. I always think to myself "would I want to wear that" and if the answer is no then I wouldn't buy it for my kids.

My son who's 5 has wide, tall feet and wears EXTRA WIDE shoes so it's VERY difficult to find shoes to fit him. Unfortunately, that means expensive shoes (about $50 per pair). We usually wind up with New Balance because their shoes always fit him. With other brands, it depends on the shoe whether it fits or not. We have found 1 store about 45 minutes from our home that we can walk into and almost always have more than 1 shoe to choose from. If I could, I would probably buy something a little cheaper but still good quality. He certainly doesn't get many different pairs of shoes every year because we simply can't afford it. If I could, I would buy him a couple pairs so he could switch them out like I do with my tennis shoes and make the supports and the shoes themselves last longer.

How could I not join in on a discussion about shoes! I do buy more expensive shoes because I think the longevity, comfort, and support are well worth it. I usually only buy two pairs per year and my son wears them interchangeably every day. So, the daily cost of the shoes turns out to be no more than a shirt or pair of pants. Right now he has Merrell sneakers from Marshalls and Clarks from a Mall sale. I love them both.
C.

I was told a good pair of tennis shoes were enough support. I was told this by my Podiatrist.

I buy one pair of leather shoes and use my husband shoe polish. Quality over quantity.

i usually buy one pair of good quality sneakers that they wear most every day, then cheaper ones for the once in a while cute shoes

We used those cute little leather ones that have the little band at the top to help keep them on. Most importantly was something that allowed her feet to flex and grow!

I rarely buy cheap shoes (from Target, etc.) because most of the shoes are made of plastic and do not allow for air circulation into the shoe... meaning, there is a high chance of your child developing athlete's foot in shoes made of plastic materials. I can't imagine trying to do athlete's foot medicine with a small child... (ugh!)

I usually buy quality shoes that are on serious sale... There are a few local children's clothing stores (plus Nordstroms semi-annual sale) that have crazy blow-out the inventory shoe sales. I stock up, buying 3-5 pairs in various sizes that my daughter will grow into over the next 1-2 years. At $10 or $15 a pair--Heck yeah!

My son is 7. Recently I started measuring him myself and buying at Kohl's etc. I always bought at Stride Rite when he was little b/c they were most knowledgeable about fitting his fat, XX wide little feet!

Within a few months many parents purchase multiple pairs of "cute" discount shoes. I wonder if they realize they've spent $50.00+ for 5-6 pairs of ill fitting shoes. I've also observed parents purchase discount athletic shoes every 2- 3 weeks at $15.00+@ because their children play hard and the shoes are ruined or worn out.

I'm a Stride Rite fan! In the rare instance a pair of Stride Rite shoes break down or wear out (before they're outgrown) the store will replace them.

I still buy Stride Rite, and my girls are 5 and 8. I hate to see them have blisters on their feet, and the Stride Rite shoes seem to always fit perfectly (and they last longer). In my opinion, it's worth the extra cost.

We did once. When our first was finally walking. But then we got smart. Expensive shoes are not necessary. We buy what the boys say feels "comfortable". No matter how cheap or expensive the shoe is...If they don't like the feel of it, it isn't worth it.

You can find quality shoes at Payless. They are now owned by Stride Right so they use the same designers and factories.

I used to buy my kids the cheapest shoes I could find, with the belief that there was no point in spending the extra money on something that wouldn't last long anyway. Then one day, shopping for tennies for my oldest, I saw some New Balance shoes on super sale, so I bought them. They are so much better quality than the 'cheap' shoes!! I USED to have to buy my son at least 3 pairs of tennies throughout the school year (cheaper shoes kept falling apart) NOW I buy him one pair of NB that last for the entire school year, and are usually still decent enough to be play shoes through the Summer. So, even though I am spending more upfront for brand name shoes, in the long run I am actually saving because the shoes last so much longer.

PS, cheaper shoes must not be very comfy, either, because my son used to hate wearing shoes, and the first time he put on the name brand shoes, he got this goofy grin on his face and said "wow, these are the MOST COMFORTABLE shoes I've ever had!"

My boys are older now, but I always bought them Stride Rites. They had wide feet and SR was one of the few brands that fit them. I also loved the professional fittings and customer service. I compensated for the price by just buying them one pair of shoes at a time. Their friends might have 3-4 pairs of shoes, but they usually just had one primary pair and then maybe a cheap pair of dress shoes for church or special occassions and sandals for the summer. (The only problem was when the primary pair got wet......) SR shoes seemed to last longer too. Also, back when I was buying them they had a guarantee that they would replace the shoes if your kid wore them out before they grew out of them. My boys are 11 and 14 now, and I still try to buy them quality shoes, but limit the number of pairs. I grew up with SR (so they've been around a LONG time), and I have such fond memories of my mom bringing me to the shoe store, getting measured and picking out that special pair of shoes.

I think no matter what age, good shoes are really important. However, I don't think one needs to break the bank in order to get quality footwear...you just have to shop smart. I discovered the Primigi brand several years ago when my sister's kids were small...full price they are quite costly. However, Amazon.com almost always has out of season styles and if you hit it right, they can be as cheap as 15 bucks. I just bought my daughter two pair of Primigi leather shoes...each pair was 17.00 and I lucked out because they happened to have the right size. I got her foot measured at a local shoe store that sells the Primigi brand, so I knew exactly what size to order in that particular brand. Other good shoes you can find cheaply on Amazon are: UMI, Naturino and Aster.

Good luck!

Unless your child is running in a sport (and by sport I don't mean playing the random game of football on the playground)...it is not necessary to buy expensive shoes. People since the beginning of time have managed on nothing but their feet and/or "a" pair of shoes, and been just fine. The Amish community uses shoes only for going to a store and on Sunday, and they have no more or less problems with their feet and walking than the kid sporting the ridiculously expensive Nikes. If you have a distance runner or basketball player in the family, by all means get them something with support and made for the function...otherwise a child does not need spendy shoes or the knowledge of brand consciousness that goes along with certain brands.

Additionally, longevity means nothing to kids...even if the shoe lasts..the kid is usually outgrows them within a season or less. I cringe much less when my 9 year old trashes his "$15" tennis shoes playing baseball on a muddy field.

Everything that high quality does not come cheap.Before we had a child I didn't pay attention on kids shoes,but now-oh boy!Some shoes from Target are soo poorly made from plastic that it even hurts to look at them,not to mention to wear on a tiny soft babys feet.Buy one good pair,it sould last thru the season.We buy from Stride rite and Nordsrtom(right now Rack has a new selection)

Yes, it is important, and yes, they are ridiculously expensive! I usually stop in at stride rite and get something on sale once a season or once a size cycle (my daughter's not yet 3). I love garage sales and have found some nice, supportive shoess at decent prices. There's a bunch of Just Between Friends sales coming up in the Metro area; you could try there. (for the record, I'm not affiliated with them--I just need shoes for my own daughter and checked their website recently to see when they'd be having another sale!)

We did for awhile, but now we just by shoes at Target or places like that. It just didn't make sense to me to spend more on my toddlers shoes than I do on my own. If I find a good deal on a "good" pair I will buy them. To be honest I've had kids' shoes from Payless last longer than Stride Rite.

Something my X MIL told me many years ago was if you put good shoes on your kids feet when they're young, they're less likely to have foot problems when they're older. If they have either a high or low arch, I would definitely do the better shoes ie Stride Rite. My daughter also had the foot that would turn in and her ped wanted her only in Stride Rite until she was able to run. I know it sucks to have to pay $50 for a pair of S.R. shoes, especially when they're feet grow so quickly but sometimes it's required ):
I hate thinking these shoes are almost the same as what I would spend for a good pair of workout shoes. Makes me sick!!!

Definitely go with the more expensive shoes. They are built better, have better structure for the feet, and are made with growing feet in mind. So many people forget that the feet take an awful beating all day long--they have to cart around all that weight for how ever many hours of the day you're up, whether it's walking, running, skipping, etc.

When I grew up, that was the one thing my parents never skimped on. I always got a pair of really good, expensive shoes--even if it was the only pair of shoes I owned. My husband's parents, on the other hand, always bought him the cheapest shoes they could possibly afford. It got to the point where my husband had chronic foot pain in high school. His mom finally took him to the doctor. The doctor looked at his feet, then took one look at his shoes. He was furious with his mom! He told her to go and buy him a pair of $50-$60 shoes, and he wouldn't have any more problems. He was right.

My daughter has extra-wide feet, and that always made the price of her shoes go up. When she was little, we bought all her shoes at Stride-Rite. She's now ten and wears a woman's size nine. I still buy her good shoes, but I'm not held "captive" by the children shoe stores anymore.

But yes, definitely, I think it's a big deal to make sure children have good shoes to wear. Good shoes means their knees won't hurt, their spine won't hurt, and they'll have good posture. Nothing's worse than having problems/issues when you're older. My husband has issues with his feet, knees, and back that he's positive is from not having good shoes to wear when he was younger.

I have bought from Stride Rite, Pediped and Target. My son really did not like the Target shoes. He is picky even at 21 mo. I am lucky to have a SR outlet near me so that makes it a little cheaper. He has only 3 pairs of shoes at any given time,1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of casual shoes and 1 pair of dress shoes and sandals for summer. I will be able to pass his shoes on to our next child because they last so much longer and wear well.

I buy Stride Rite shoes mostly. You should check out their website and find an outlet store near you. I don't usually spend more than $20-25 per pair, which really isn't that much more than Target. I have found that the Stride Rite shoes last much longer than the ones from Target.

I have always bought my kids a good brand, mostly stride rite. I just look around and buy them when they are on sale. I got my son some stride rite tennis shoes for $10 for school over the summer!

My boyfriend and I always buy his daughter good shoes. We usually go to an outlet mall and get them from outlet stores so we're not paying an arm and leg. His daughter's mom, on the other hand, is always buying cheap shoes and the poor kid (she's only 3) constantly has blisters because of the cheap shoes. I refuse to send the good shoes that we buy to her mom's house (at least until she's old enough to take care of them herself) because they will either get lost or ruined over there. When I was growing up, my parents always bought me and my brothers cheap shoes, so as soon as I got a job, I started buying my own good shoes. I have never bought a pair of Payless tennis shoes since. If I'm not comfortable in cheap shoes, why should I expect the kid to be?

I usually always made sure my older daughter had at least one good pair and will do the same with my baby. I've had foot problems my whole life and the 2 different podiatrists I've seen have encouraged good shoes with lots of support. Always for p.e. good shoes fit at a store!

I buy good ones, too! My son only had one pair of sandals this last spring/summer and then when he grew out of them I bought another pair. (First pairs of walking shoes) Now I just recently bought him two pairs of shoes for the fall/winter. I think buying less, but better quality is better.

The only thing I think I will buy cheaper (if I can find something we like) is snow boots to play in the snow. I don't think he needs expensive ones if he's only in them for an hour at a time.

I buy Stride-Rite sneakers because my daughter has a wide foot (she is 6) and I can't find sneakers that will fit her at Target or WalMart. Even at SR we usually end up with basic shoes because the "cute" ones are too tight. When we have found sneakers at Target they last maybe 2 months, 3 if we are lucky, since she wears them to school every day and she is pretty rough on shoes. Stride-Rite tends to last 4-6 months which is when she outgrows them. Otherwise, she wears Crocs (knock offs give her blisters) or flip flops.

When we did have a period of time where she could wear the ones from Target or WalMart (before she started school), I bought them. I could buy 2 or more pairs for the same price as I paid for 1 pair at Stride-Rite.

I think it is what you can get your child to wear - for me, I am just happy if she still finds them comfortable when we get home! ;-)